Slide gate assembly



Sept. 7, 1965 w. FLOEHR 3,204,578 SLIDE GATE ASSEMBLY Filed May 13, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenior:

Walter L. Floehr his Attorney Sept. 7, l 965 Filed May 13, 1965 FIG. 2

W. L. FLOEHR SLIDE GATE ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Walter L. Floehr his Attorney Sept. 7, 1965 w. FLOEHR SLIDE GATE ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 36 Filed May 13, 1963 WIWIWIWI Invento r:

Walter L. Floehr his Attorney United States Patent 3,204,578 SLIDE GATE ASSEMBLY Walter L. Floehr, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Unitcast Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 13, 1963, Ser. No. 272338 12 Claims. (Cl. 105-282) This invention relates to slide gate assemblies for railway hopper cars.

Before a railway hopper car is painted, it is the practice to clean its surface by sandblasting or shot-peening and then employ air jets to remove accumulations of sand or shot. While generally effective, this practice, in the case of hopper cars which use slide gates for controlling the discharge of lading from their hoppers, has the disadvantage that it is practically impossible to ensure that the air jets will remove all shot from the gate operating mechanisms and the guide ways in the frames in which the gates slide. As a result, when a car is painted, ostensibly for use, shot may well be lodged in the operating mechanism or guide ways of one or more of the slide gate assemblies and an attempt to operate a gate under these conditions is both difficult and likely to damage the assembly. Too, even if a slide gate assembly escapes damage incident to the painting of the car, its guide ways in service are exposed to lading each time the latter is discharged and, depending on the nature of the lading, can become clogged to the point where the gate is difficult or impossible to close. Whenever the operation of a slide gate is found to have been impaired either in the course of the painting or in service and particularly when the impairment is in the lodgment of foreign matter in one or both of its guide ways, it is practically impossible to remove the foreign matter without first removing the slide gate and this, with present slide gate assemblies, entails the use of at least two laborers from different crafts, one a welder or riveter and the other a mechanic.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a slide gate assembly, the operating mechanism of which is adapted to be installed separately after a car has been painted to protect it from the cleaning and can be installed readily at that time by one laborer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slide gate assembly, the slide gate of which can readily be removed at any time and its guide ways cleaned by a single laborer without conflict between crafts.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a slide gate assembly wherein the gate in open position is supported outwardly on stub extensions which are rigid or integral with brackets mounting the operating mechanism and wherein the brackets are bolted or otherwise releasably attached to the gate frame, each at a plurality of spaced points, and, on removal of the other attaching means can be swung about an axially aligned pair of points with the extensions serving as handles and thereby swing the operating mechanism into and out of engagement with the gate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a slide gate assembly wherein the operating mechanism is part of a subassembly which is adapted to be bolted to the gate frame and by removal of all but a pair of the bolts can be swung on the frame between positions, in one of which the gate is locked against removal and operatively connected to the mechanism and in the other of which the gate and mechanism are disengaged and the gate is free to be removed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularice 1y pointed out in the appended claims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the slide gate assembly of the present invention, with portions removed to more clearly illustrate the details of construction;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the assembly of FIGURE 1 with the assembly installed. on a hopper;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view on the section of lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2 but showing the operating mechanism and lock, respectively, in their inoperative and unlocked positions;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 2 but with gate in open position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIGURE 4 except that the gate is in its closed position.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved slide gate assembly of the present invention, designated as 1, is for use on railway hopper cars for closing the discharge openings of the cars several hoppers, a lower portion of one of which is indicated at 2. The assembly 1 i is comprised of a gate frame 3 which is adapted to be applied over the lower end of the hopper 2 and be fixed or secured to or made rigid with the hopper, as by welding or riveting it to the hoppers side sheets 4. As does the frame of a conventional slide gate assembly, the frame 3 of the assembly of this invention has, intermediate its vertical extremities and below the hopper, a seat 5 bounding a discharge opening 6 and adapted to seat a slide gate 7 for closing that opening. The seat 5 is overlain at each side by one or more guide lugs or flanges 8 integral or rigid with or fixed to and instanding from the corresponding sides 9 of the frame 3, which, with the underlying portions of the seat and the connecting or intervening portions of the corresponding frame sides, form guide ways or grooves 10 in which the adjoining sides of the gate are received and guided as it slides between open and closed positions with the sides of the seat then serving as slideways or tracks and the overlying lugs preventing tilting of the gate as it approaches open position. In sliding between open and closed positions and also when it is applied and removed, the gates slides or moves through a horizontally elongated slot or opening 11 in the outer end 12 of the frame and over an underlying lip 13 forming part of the seat along that end of the frame. In the conventional manner, the frame 3, below the seat 5, has its discharge opening 6 shaped to funnel lading into a canvas or like boot (not shown), a suitable mounting 14 for which is fixed to and forms part of the lower end of the frame.

The slide gate 7 is designed to be moved between open and closed positions by rack and pinion drive having one and preferably a pair or plurality of transversely spaced racks 15 on the underside of the gate and a c0rresponding number of pinions 16 carried by an operating shaft 17 mounted on the frame. As preferred, the racks 15 maybe formed integrally with the gate 7 or, as illustrated, be formed as separate pieces and fixed as by welding to the underside of a plate 18 serving as the gate proper. Whichever the form, each of the racks 15 preferably terminates inwardly in an abutment, interruption or blockage 19 which cannot mesh with the teeth 20 of the related pinion and thereby limits the outward movement of the gate relative to the frame so long as the racks and pinions.

are operatively connected or engaged. To ensure against tampering with the gate 7 when it is closed, there is pro vided in the illustrated assembly 1 a lock 21 in the form" of a latch 22 pivotally mounted on the outer end of the frame 3 below the gate-receiving slot 11 and swingable from an unlocked position below the gate to a locked position in which it overlaps and confronts the outer end of the gate and is held by gravity in a keeper or catch 23 fixed to the same end of the frame above the slot, the latch and keeper being apertured for sealing of the latch in locked position to the keeper by the usual wire seal (not shown).

In a conventional slide gate assembly, no provision is made for disengagement of the pinions on the operating shaft from the racks on the underside of the gate other than by sliding the gate out of the frame. This poses a problem, if, as in the illustrated embodiment, the outward movement of the gate is limited by a blockage in the teeth of one or each of the pinion, since in such case the gate cannot be removed so long as the racks and pinions are in engagement. A solution for the problem is proposed in my application Serial No. 819,165 filed June 9, 1959, on which Patent No. 3,089,435 issued on May 14, 1963. In that structure, as in a conventional assembly, the bearings or bushings in which the operating shaft is journaled are mounted directly on the gate frame but one of the bearings is removable so that on its removal the shaft can be slid axially out of the other bearing and then displaced from the frame to the point at which the pinions and racks are disengaged. By contrast, in the assembly 1 of this invention, the operating shaft and its mounting are applicable to and removable from the frame 3 as a unit and the pinions 16 on the shaft can be disengaged from the racks on the underside of the gate without disconnecting the shaft from the frame.

As in a conventional slide gate assembly, the frame 3 of the preferred embodiment is provided, outwardly of its outer end wall 12, with side flanges 24 formed as outward extensions of its sides 9 for mounting the operating shaft 17 in its operative position in which its pinions 16 are engaged with the racks on the underside of the gate 7 and the shaft itself is disposed below the gate and beyond the outer end wall. However, unlike the side flanges of the conventional frame, those 24 of the frame 3 of this invention, instead of being apertured to receive the operating shaft, are notched or recessed, as at 25, to permit the shaft to be moved, shifted, or inserted radially, nonaxially or without axial movement into its operative position. The operating shaft is supported or held in that position by a pair of supports or support brackets 26, one releasably attached to each of the side flanges 24. With the preferred notches 25 opening downwardly so as to permit the operating shaft to be inserted from below into operative position, the supports 26 preferably span or bridge the notches and are releasably attached at opposite sides thereof to their respective side flanges.

The preferred supports 26 are adapted not only to support the operating shaft 17 in operative position but, as well, to journal the shaft and for that purpose mounts bearings or bushings for the ends of the shaft, each conveniently in the form of an ins-tanding or inwardly directed cylindrically apertured boss 27 integral or rigid with and disposed intermediate the ends of the related support. For ready access, the supports 26 are mounted on the outer rather than the inner sides of the side flanges, suitably on flat, coplanar, vertically disposed outer faces 28 of transversely spaced or vertically extending ribs 29 outstanding from the side of the frame and backed in part by the side flanges 24, the transverse spacing of the pair of ribs on which each support is seated providing between the ribs a recess 30 for receiving or accommodating the shaft journaling boss 27 of that support.

While the supports 26 may be releasably attached by riveting to the frame 3, it is preferred they be bolted thereto for the relative ease of application and removal by a man armed merely with a wrench. In any case, it is desirable that the bolts or other attaching means 31 exa slide gate for cleaning or other maintenance.

tend through the ribs 29 parallel to the operating shaft and that one and preferably each of the bolts attaching each support be concentric or axially aligned with the corresponding bolt for the other support. With the supports so attached, it not only is a simple matter to apply and remove the operating shaft 17 and supports 26 as a unit regardless of the position of the gate 7 but, because of the concentricity of the pair of bolts at least at one side of the operating shaft, it also is possible, by removing the other pair of bolts, for the operating shaft and supports to swing, hinge, pivot or fulcrum on the concentric pair about the latters common axis. Consequently, disengagement of the pinions 16 from the racks 15 for removal of the gate 7 from the frame 3 does not require that the supports and operating shaft be detached or disconnected from the frame, but merely entails removal of the pair of bolts on one or the other side of the operating shaft whereupon the shaft and supports will drop by gravity to the inoperative position shown in FIGURE 3. If, as will usually be the case, the gate 7 is then to be removed, the only further condition precedent is that the latch 22 be released from the keeper 23 and swung to the unlocked position shown in the same figure. Conversely, re-engagement of the racks and pinions on replacement of the gate 7 after its removal for cleaning of the grooves 10 or other purpose involves only the lifting of the unit comprised of the operating shaft and supports to the shafts operative position and replacement or re-application of the previously removed pair of bolts.

Since no axial movement of the operating shaft 17 is involved either in inserting it into the frame or in disengagement of its pinions 16 from the racks 15, the pinions may be and preferably are fixed against relative movement to the shaft, as by welding applied between the shaft and welding lugs 32 on the pinions, in proper axial position to align with and engage with their respective racks In turn, the shaft 17 is held in assembled relation to the supports 26 for application and removal as a unit therewith and also correctly positioned when the supports are attached to the frame 3, by a capstan or operating head 33 pinned or otherwise suitably fixed or attached to its operating end outwardly of the adjoining support and a washer or collar 34 similarly fixed to its opposite end.

In the illustrated embodiment, it is the pair of bolts 31 piercing the supports 26 adjacent their inner ends about which the supports and the operating shaft 17 preferably fulcrum in swinging between operative and inoperative positions, respectively, for engaging and disengaging the pinions 16 and the racks 15. This preference 1s motivated in part by the relative accessibility of the outer bolts. However, another motivating factor is that without interfering with and in fact assisting in their action in supporting the operating shaft 17, the supports 26 in their operative or normal position in which each is attached by both bolts 31 to the frame 3, can also be made to support the gate 7 in its open position. This is accomplished by forming integrally with or fixing or attaching to or mounting on the supports inwardly offset rearward extensions 35 having flat upper surfaces 36 which in the normal position of the supports are aligned longitudinally and coplanar with the slideways for the gate formed on the frame by the side of the seat 5. Not only do these rearward extensions serve to support the gate in open position but they also are convenient handles for swinging the operating shaft 17 between inoperative and operative positions and particularly upwardly to operatlve position.

From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved slide gate assembly which facilitates not only application of the operating shaft after a car in which the assembly is installed has been cleaned and painted but also removal of It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A slide gate assembly for a railway hopper car, comprising a frame fixable to a hopper about a discharge opening therein, a gate slidable in said frame between open and closed positions and having rack means on an underside thereof, operating shaft means carrying pinion means and insertable radially into said frame in position to engage said pinion means with said rack means, and means rotatably connected to said shaft means for application and removal as a unit therewith and releasably attached to said frame for supporting said shaft means in said position.

2. A slide gate assembly for railway hopper cars, comprising a frame fixable to a hopper about a discharge opening therein, a gate slidable in said frame between open and closed positions and having rack means on an underside thereof, operating shaft means carrying pinion means, said frame being recessed for insertion of said shaft means radially thereinto into position to engage said pinion means with said rack means, and means releasably attached to said frame and rotatably connected to said shaft means for application and removal as a unit therewith, said last-named means on attachment to said frame supporting said shaft means in said position and said gate in the open position thereof.

3. In a slide gate assembly for a railway hopper car having a frame fixable to a hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame and rack means on an underside of said gate, the combination of an operating shaft carrying pinion means engageable with said rack means, and mounting means for said shaft releasably attachable to said frame, said shaft and mounting means being rotatably connected for application to and removal from said frame as a unit.

4. A slide gate assembly for a hopper of a railway hopper car, comprising a frame fixable to said hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame between open and closed positions for controlling flow of lading from said hopper, rack means on an underside of said gate, an operating shaft, pinion means mounted on said shaft and in operative position engageable with said rack means for driving said gate between open and closed positions, means associated with said rack and pinion means and operative during engagement thereof for limiting outward movement of said gate, supports mounting said shaft and releasably attachable to opposite sides of said frame for supporting said shaft thereon in the operative position of said pinion means, and means on said supports and normally projected outwardly beyond said frame for supporting said gate in the open position thereof.

5. A slide gate assembly for a hopper of a railway hopper car, comprising a frame fixable to said hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame between open and closed positions for controlling flow of lading from said hopper, rack means on an underside of said gate, an operating shaft, pinion means mounted on said shaft and in operative position engageable with said rack means for driving said gate between open and closed positions, means associated with said rack and pinion means and operative during engagement thereof for limiting outward movement of said gate, and a pair of supports mounting said shaft and releasably attachable to opposite sides of said frame at opposite sides of said shaft for supporting said shaft in position to engage said pinion means with said rack means, said shaft on detachment of said supports at one side thereof from said frame being swingable on said supports to a position to disengage said rack means from said pinion means.

6. A slide gate assembly for a hopper of a railway hopper car, comprising a frame fixable to said hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame between open and closed positions for controlling flow of lading from said hopper, rack means on an underside of said gate, an operating shaft, pinion means mounted on said shaft and in operative position engageable with said rack means for driving said gate between open and closed positions, means associated with said rack and pinion means and operative during engagement thereof for limiting outward movement of said gate, a pair of spaced supports mounting said shaft, said supports being releasably attachable to opposite sides of said frame each at a plurality of points at least one of which is concentric with a point of attachment of the other support, and said supports on detachment thereof from said frame at other points being swingable about said concentric points for swinging said shaft between positions wherein said pinion means are engaged with and disengaged from said rack means.

7. A slide gate assembly for a hopper of a railway hopper car, comprising a frame fixable to said hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame between open and closed positions for controlling flow of lading from said hopper, rack means on an underside of said gate, an operating shaft, pinion means mounted on said shaft and in operative position engageable with said rack means for driving said gate between open and closed positions, means associated with said rack and pinion means and operative during engagement thereof for limiting outward movement of said gate, a pair of spaced supports mounting said shaft, said supports being boltable to opposite sides of said frame each at a plurality of points at least one of which is concentric with a bolting point of the other support, and said supports on partial unbolting thereof being swingable about said concentric points for swinging said shaft between positions to engage and disengage said pinion means from said rack means.

8. A slide gate assembly for a hopper of a railway hopper car, comprising a frame fixable to said hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame between open and closed positions for controlling flow of lading from said hopper, rack means on an underside of said gate, an operating shaft, pinion means mounted on said shaft and in operative position engageable .with said rack means for driving said gate between open and closed positions, means associated with said rack and pinion means and operative during engagement thereof for limiting outward movement of said gate, a pair of spaced supports mounting said shaft intermediate their ends, said supports being releasable attachable to opposite sides of said frame inwardly and outwardly of said shaft for supporting said shaft in position to engage said pinion means with said rack means, said supports on detachment thereof from said frame outwardly of said shaft being swingable inwardly thereof on said frame for swinging said shaft to a position to disengage said pinion means from said rack means, and handle means on said supports outwardly of said shaft for swinging said shaft between said positions, said handle means on full attachment of said supports to said frame projecting outwardly therefrom for supporting said gate in the open position thereof.

9. A slide gate assembly for a hopper of a railway hopper car comprising a frame fixable to a hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame on transversely spaced slideways between open and closed positions for controlling discharge lading from said hopper, rack means on an underside of said gate, an operating shaft, pinion means on said shaft and engageable in an operative position thereof with said rack means for driving said gate between open and closed positions, means connected to said rack means and engageable with said pinion means for limiting outward movement of said gate during engagement of said rack and pinion means, a pair of supports mounting said shaft inter mediate their ends and releasably attachable to opposite sides of said frame each at spaced inner and outer points or opposite sides of said shaft at least the inner of which is concentric with the inner attachment point of the other support, said supports on attachment thereof at said inner and outer points to said frame positioning said shaft to engage said pinion means with said rack means and on detachment at said outer points from said frame being swingable about said inner points for swinging said shaft to a position to disengage pinion means from said rack means, extensions on said supports, said extensions on full attachment of said supports to said frame having surfaces extending outwardly of said frame and aligning with said slideways for supporting said gate in open position, and said extensions on detachment of said supports at said outer points serving as handles therefor for swinging said shaft between said positions.

10. In a slide gate assembly for a railway hopper car having a frame fixable to a hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame and rack means on an underside of said gate, the combination of an operating shaft carrying pinion means engageable with said rack means, and mounting means for said shaft releasably attachable at a plurality of points spaced transversely of said shaft to said frame, and shaft and mounting means being connected for application to and removal from said frame as a unit, and said unit on detachment of said mounting means from said frame at certain of said points being swingable about other of said points relative to said frame between positions wherein said pinion means are engaged with and disengaged from said rack means.

11. In a slide gate assembly for arailway hopper car having a frame fixable to a hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame and rack means on an underside of said gate, the combination of an operating shaft carrying pinion means engageable with said rack means, and a pair of supports mounting said shaft and releasably attachable each at a plurality of points spaced transversely of said shaft to opposite sides of said frame in position to engage said pinion means with said rack means, said operating shaft on detachment of said supports at certain of said points being swingable therewith about other of said points relative to said frame to a position wherein said rack means are dis engaged from said pinion means.

12. In a slide gate assembly for a railway hopper car having a frame fixable to a hopper about a discharge opening therein, a slide gate slidable in said frame and rack means on an underside of said gate, the combination of an operating shaft carrying pinion means engageable with said rack means, and a pair of supports mounting said shaft and releasably attachable each .at a plurality of spaced points spaced transversely of said shaft to 0pposite sides of said frame in position to engage said pinion means with said rack means, said shaft and supports being connected for application to and removal from said frame as a unit, and said operating shaft on detachment of said supports at certain of said points being swingable therewith about other of said points relative to said frame to a position wherein said rack means are disengaged from said pinion means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,623,303 4/27 Burnett l05-282 2,186,355 1/40 Wilson 10548 2,753,815 7/56 Dorey 105282 3,089,435 5/63 Floehr 105282 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

JAMES S. SHANK, LEO QUACKENBUSH, Examiners. 

1. A SLIDE GATE ASSEMBLY FOR A RAILWAY HOPPER CARCOMPRISING A FRAME FIXABLE TO A HOPPER ABOUT A DISCHARGE OPENING THEREIN, A GATE SLIDABLE IN SAID FRAME BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS AND HAVING RACK MEANS ON AN UNDERSIDE THEREOF, OPERATING SHAFT MEANS CARRYING PINION MEANS AND INSERTABLE RADIALLY INTO SAID FRAME IN POSITION TO ENGAGE SAID PINION MEANS WITH SAID RACK MEANS, AND MEANS ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT MEANS FOR APPLICATION AND REMOVAL AS A UNIT THEREWITH AND RELEASABLY ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME FOR SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT MEANS IN SAID POSITION. 